Scars and Tattoos
by MegasDoux
Summary: A continuation of the events after the ending of the original Avatar: The Last Airbender series. Mostly from Zuko's point of view, it follows the young Fire Lord and his friends as they try to piece their worlds back together while trying to stay both happy, and sane. Slight Zukaang.
1. Chapter 1 - Scars and Tattoos

The Fire Lord found himself awake again, late into the night. He couldn't sleep. Not that his bed wasn't comfortable, not that he wasn't tired, not that his living quarters weren't adequate, really, quite the opposite, actually. He had a bed chamber larger than the house he had shared with his Uncle as refugees—which truthfully seemed like ages ago—festooned with pillows and blankets with thread counts higher than anyone should even know. That is, here in the palace, not with his Uncle. Iroh was too fond of spilling his tea to ever have that many bedroom ornaments. No, he couldn't sleep because there was too much on his mind. Being Fire Lord gave him great power and prestige and the means to right many of the wrongs that his father put in place, but with that comes a great deal of responsibility. Even for things that are out of his control. He has become a scapegoat of sorts for many people. The Fire Nation has a great debt to pay to the world. One he is in charge of. And, as much as he tried, he never seemed to be able to do enough. Fighting was breaking out in the colonies. He's had multiple death threats on himself and even real attacks. He's had more and more trouble keeping himself together, and although throughout the day he longed for the night, as soon as it came, he couldn't manage to get the rest he so desperately sought.  
"Zuko…?" A tiny voice accompanied by a knock came in from his door. He recognized it, but it surprised him nonetheless. Aang wasn't one for staying up late. He was a growing boy; he needed his rest after all. Though that usually meant sleeping until all hours of the day. Such a typical boy—well, despite being the Avatar and saving the world and all.  
He coughed to clear his throat and then whispered back, "Yes?"  
The door creaked open rather loudly and a ray of light cut into the darkness. Zuko had to squint to see anything, but there was no mistaking his slight frame.  
"Are you asleep?" the Avatar whispered.  
"If I was would I be talking to you?" Zuko answered.  
"Oh, right, yeah. Umm, can I come in?"  
Zuko sighed and replied with, "Sure, I guess. Just be careful with the—" Too late. He shut the door with a loud squeal and a raucous bang. The fire nation palace was old, and it showed. Zuko didn't want to sleep in his father's room, for various reasons, so he took to an older wing of the building. The upkeep wasn't as good here.  
The young Avatar shuffled through the darkness, his light steps leading him to the edge of the bed. He sat on it facing away from the new Fire Lord and yawning loudly. Zuko sat up and lit a lantern adhered to the wall. The crackling orange light danced across Aang's shirtless back and tattooed head and body making strange shapes in the darkness with the scar on his back. Zuko rubbed his eyes.  
"What is it?" he asked, not yet sure if he was annoyed or thankful for his presence.  
"I don't know," Aang began, "I've been having trouble sleeping. I've a lot on my mind since… you know."  
"Right." Zuko wondered if he was talking about the aftermath of the battle, or his recent rather large fight with Katara. He decided though, that it was best not to ask and to just let him speak.  
"I wish I could just forget things and get to sleep. I know I've so much to do, and I think that's part of the reason I can't fall asleep. The battle is over but the fight isn't done. Everyone expects me to both be the Avatar and be Aang and I can hardly be one at a time with all that's going on! Sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode. You know?" He spoke all of this to the far wall in the darkness. Maybe he didn't need Zuko to listen so much as he needed _somebody_ to. And nobody knew better than the new Fire Lord about expectations that are hard to fulfill.  
"I know. You're only one person and can be at one place at one time. I'm sure you're doing your best. Things are just more… complicated than were to be expected," he said to himself as much as to Aang.  
"Yeah." The Avatar looked down and fiddled with his hands. "I just wish everyone else would understand that." Aang turned and sat on the bed so he could see him now.  
"Me too," Zuko said, "Me too." Aang scoffed and smiled at him.  
"Thanks, Sifu Hotman," Aang said with a dorky grin that looked more tired and crazed than happy. To which the Fire Lord rolled his eyes.  
"Now get out before I set you on fire." Zuko said playfully. He found himself tired after the mostly one-sided talk, and almost to agree, Aang rose with a noisy yawn and made his way to the door, head down, pretending he was hurt by the threat. As he opened the door softly, Zuko whispered out to him, "And Aang; if you need someone to talk to, you know, I'm here. I could use the break from my duties too. You're always welcome."  
"Thank you, Fire Lord Zuko," he whispered back at him while Zuko extinguished the flame.  
"Sure thing, Avatar Aang," he answered into the darkness before the door shut. He then lay back down, and without much thought, he found himself falling fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2 - Reflections

Zuko walked across the garden and sat on a rock near a tree and a small pond well out of the way of any visitors. He needed a moment to himself without anyone expecting anything of him. It was a long meeting; it went on for hours on every side. More of a debate than a negotiation, really. The Earth Kingdom wanted its territories back and wouldn't back down. The Fire Nation though had several colonies that were already well-established and happy, and most of its citizens had no want to become part of the Earth Kingdom. They were Fire Nation and were causing no trouble with their benefactors or their peers. There was bad blood still though, that much was clear and neither side wanted to give in to the other. The Avatar and the Fire Lord sat on either side, trying to remain as neutral as they could in a very biased argument from delegates of the Earth King and the colonies. They thought the Avatar was being too soft and believed the new Fire Lord was too biased and were afraid he'd turn out to be like his father. An observation that couldn't bother Zuko more. Aang finally called a ceasefire of sorts and decided to reconvene tomorrow, though the Fire Lord had his doubts that anything would change then. They were no further towards a solution at the end of the day than they were at the beginning, and nothing showed him that anyone would think any different with a good night's sleep.  
_At least they could sleep, _thought Zuko. Both sides, especially the Earth Kingdom representatives, had no problem accepting the offers and amenities of the palace during their stay; their own sort of passive revenge for the atrocities that had been committed. As if having food brought up to them a dozen times a day made up for the towns that were burned to the ground. He didn't complain though, they had every right. The Fire Nation as a whole was indebted to the world in its plea for forgiveness. It was no easy going, though everyone thought that once his father was taken down things would change. They were wrong. It was a new kind of war now; less blood, but just as emotionally powerful. And just as exhausting. He stood and took a few steps over to the water and peered in at his reflection. _I wish Uncle was here,_ he thought, _he always knew what was best._ But he agreed not to bother him with such things. He was old and out of shape, and he deserved some peace and quiet at his tea shop. He could always talk with Mai, but things have been tense between the two since he's became Fire Lord, as it has with everything else. She was staying with her parents now, who, like so many other Fire Nation citizens, were unsure of Zuko's reign and not exactly "against" the war he ended, nor were they supporters of his father's imprisonment. _My father…_ Zuko's mind wandered. But he couldn't ask him, and he shook his head trying to wipe the thought from his brain. The boy could hardly recognize himself in the water, he looked like an entirely different person. With a sigh, Zuko took off his crown and looked at it, wondering if he was truly cut-out for the job.  
"You know I could bend that into something more appealing, if you'd like." The voice startled Zuko and he almost dropped the golden flame he held into the pond below. He didn't hear her coming, but somehow the young girl knew that Zuko was there and fiddling with his crown though she couldn't see a thing. He both found it both admirable and a bit intimidating, and quite often very surprising.  
"Oh, hey Toph. I uh, didn't see you there," he said while placing the royal signifier into his robe's pocket for safe keeping.  
"It's ok Sparky, I didn't see me coming either," she said with a grin, sitting down on the rock. Though there was room for only one person to sit, she simply bended the earth below to make another spot for him.  
"Toph, please," Zuko began, dusting off his Fire Lord gown. He wanted to be alone and she was invading his personal space and he didn't enjoy it.  
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Sparky, I'll be leaving soon."  
"My name's not Sparky!" Zuko shot back.  
"Oh yes, "Fire Lord" Sparky, I forgot," Toph answered sarcastically and with a flourish. She must have felt him glaring though, because she quickly added, "I'm sorry, okay? I'm not trying to set your hair on fire."  
"It's fine," he replied curtly, "Is there something you wanted of me?"  
She started kicking her bare feet, bending a small pebble with her hand and said after a pause, "Can't a girl just sit with her friend without a fuss?"  
"I don't know, can she?" he said snatching the pebble away.  
"Hey! All right, fine. I wanted to talk to you about the meeting today," Toph said seriously.  
"I'd really rather not." Zuko got up and began to walk off towards the palace before Toph rose a wall of stone in front of him, blocking his path. "You're messing up the garden!" he shouted back at her, probably too loudly as he saw a servant in the distance look in their direction and then quickly scurry off.  
"Just listen for a minute, will you?" she asked him, without changing the inflection of her voice. Zuko didn't answer, but he turned around and sat back down, still upset, and she lowered the wall back into the dirt. She did it carefully and in such a way, you'd never have even known it was ever there.  
He steadied his breathing and said, as calmly as he could: "What is it?"  
She waited a moment, and then two, her eyes blankly staring off into the distance. She finally sighed and began, talking both fast and more seriously than the Fire Lord was used to with their time together. "They're just tired of being pushed around. You Fire Nation types aren't the only ones with a sense of honor, you know. We have it too, and after struggling for so long to get what we want, it looks as if things aren't going back to normal so much as they're just continuing, just more passive-aggressively. They feel as if you're still taking their land and their pride, even if it isn't by force this time. Earth Kingdomers come from all different backgrounds as merchants and workers and officials, but first and foremost, they live off the land. It's their nature. It's what keeps us strong and resolute and has helped us survive after everything that's happened, and it feels sometimes as if you're pulling the ground right out from under us instead of working with us, even if that isn't necessarily true. You don't have to bend over backwards for them, and I wouldn't expect you to. You're the Fire Lord for Kyoshi's sake; you have your own duties and responsibilities to your own people, just… try to see where they're coming from. We're a war-torn and damaged people, but our self-worth and sense of community is as strong as ever. I don't think they want their way so much as they want respect. Their voices went so long without being heard and now, really, they just want to be listened to. I know you're trying and it must be exhausting, just please keep that all in mind as you deal with them."  
The Fire Lord looked at her in awe, unknowing of what to say. Zuko forgot sometimes that she was from the Earth Kingdom, and from a prominent family at that. And what's more, he forgot that for being such a young girl she was wise beyond her years. He saw her sneak into the meeting after it began and sit in the corner with her eyes closed, but he assumed she had been sleeping. It appeared that the assumption he made was wrong, as many of his others probably were about people from the Earth Kingdom.  
She turned to him and he nodded, but in case she didn't notice he added, "Sure, I'll keep that in mind, Toph. Thanks, you're right." He said it in a low, quiet voice, still thinking and reflecting as he said it.  
"Of course I'm right," she said, reverting to her normal cocky voice. She pulled the stone from Zuko's hands with her bending and walked away towards the kitchen, casually swirling the rock around her hand. "Also, don't be late for dinner, Katara's a bit cranky and she's not afraid to show it, if you know what I mean."  
"All right," he said to her as she walked away. Zuko sat there until she went inside and then stood and nodded to himself, feeling surprisingly humbled from their chat. Sometimes he took his friends for granted, and he made a quiet promise to himself to not let that happen again. Reaching into his robe he took out his golden crown and with another sigh, replaced it atop his head. The Fire Lord then strolled off towards the kitchen as well, hoping the young water tribe girl didn't make her special fish stew again, but, as he's well learned, you can only wish for so much.


	3. Chapter 3 - Longing

**Chapter 3  
**_Longing_

Zuko entered the meeting room to find that it was only he and Aang inside. Though he wasn't late, he wasn't exactly early either. The room seemed strangely peaceful and nice, with only Aang sitting in the large room by himself, much different from yesterday with all of the yelling. His ears rang just thinking about it.  
"Where is everyone?" inquired Zuko, his voice echoing off the walls.  
"I asked them to leave and come back in an hour. I wanted to speak with you privately."  
"Uhh, all right then. What is it?" he asked with a bit of nerves lilting off from his tongue. This was unusual and made Zuko a bit anxious, in all honesty, especially since it wasn't going according to the plan he'd thought out in his head prior for today's meeting. He went to sit down at his place at the other end of the table, before the Avatar stopped him.  
"No, just sit here, it's no use yelling across the room if we don't have to. I don't much like it anyways," he said solemnly, much unlike his normal bubbly self.  
Taking a seat next to his friend, the young Fire Lord began, nervously, after adjusting his robes, "Is there anything in particular that you wanted to speak to me about?" It wasn't until now that he noticed how awful the Avatar looked. "Aang, are you all right? What's wrong, you look terrible, have you been sleeping?" He grabbed the sides of Avatar Aang's head and pulled it towards himself with genuine concern, trying to get a better look at him. "You have bags as big a badgermole, what's going on?"  
"Mmnnnngh," he groaned in reply, "I've been up late thinking about the meetings and everything that's happened and I'm still not sleeping well. I'm all right though! See?" He looked right up at Zuko and closed his tired eyes and gave him the biggest of grins, before putting his head back down in his arms.  
"Who are you trying to convince with that, me, or yourself?" he said to the back of a bald head.  
"I don't even know anymore. I'm just so sick of this, Zuko, especially after yesterday. I thought things were going to get _easier,_ not harder. These people won't budge, and I know it's not just your fault; they aren't being very cooperative. But you've got to be more open-minded, especially to the Earth Kingdom's aversion to the colonies." He said it with a raise in his voice in a complaintative way that reminded the Fire Lord how young the Avatar was, and subsequently how young he was as well. They have big shoes to fill for mere teenagers.  
"I know," the once Fire Prince said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I've already spoken to Toph about it. She made some pretty good points."  
"You talked to Toph?"  
"Yeah, and she made a lot of sense. She helped me understand things better." While saying this he felt a bit strange about the physical contact, and took his hand back from his shoulder. They had hardly talked, much less touched, since their embrace after Zuko was coronated. There hadn't been any time for hanging out or catching up. There never seemed to be anymore.  
"That's good." Aang sighed, "Now if we could only make _them_ see things better as well."  
"Can't you just go into your Avatar State and knock some sense into them?" Zuko said trying to push out a laugh.  
"No, that wouldn't work," he began and while yawning added, "I don't think."  
"It was a joke, I wasn't serious," Zuko said matter-of-factly.  
"Besides," Aang went on, not seemingly hearing the Fire Lord, "We haven't been very…" He paused looking for the right word, "'Vocal' lately. A lot's been going on."  
"Is everything all right? I didn't think the Avatar could actually have conversations like that. Did something happen? Aang?" Zuko nudged Aang and he didn't move. His breathing slowed, steadied, and lengthened; a sure sign that the young Avatar had fallen asleep. Fire Lord Zuko rose with an exhale, looking around and trying to think of a solution for what to do. Shaking his head annoyed at the situation as a whole, he hoisted the boy up out of the chair and into his arms. He mumbled in his sleep as if to say something, but as if out of sheer weakness, began to snore lightly instead. The two boys moved as one across the large room, one carrying the other to the door, and opening it with his back, letting the morning's light shine over them. The Fire Lord hoped to sneak out successfully, but he'd have no such luck.  
"What's this, what's going on?" A Fire Nation aristocrat said to him while walking over. He recognized him from the meeting as one of the Colonial Representatives. His face scrunched in obvious displeasure over something that wasn't told to him earlier. "What are you doing?"  
"The meeting's cancelled indefinitely. The Avatar needs rest." He said it firmly, but softly, not wanting to wake the Avatar, while continuing to walk, not slowing his gait.  
"What?" he said indignantly, "You can't do that!"  
"Can't do what, what's happening here?" Now an Earth Kingdom official was blocking his path.  
"Prince Zuko is calling the meeting off because the boy wants to sleep!"  
"He can't do that, what about the talks? The Prince—"  
"I am the Fire Lord, and this is the Avatar and you will show some respect! I can and _am_ doing just that. Now move out of my way, before I get someone to escort you back to your rooms!" Zuko bellowed, a spark of fire emanating from his mouth, no longer able to stay quiet for the exhausted Aang. Though, thankfully, he didn't even flinch. The Earth Kingdom official, on the other hand, not only got out of the way, but bowed hastily before running off.  
"Well good riddance," the Fire Nation man began, "Maybe that will teach their kind some—"  
"Excuse me?" Zuko interjected, "Are you going to need an escort, or are you going to return on your own?" There was a silence while Zuko stared down the representative, tired of the senseless bickering. The only sound you could hear other than the wind, was Aang's light snoring. Without breaking gaze until he had to turn, the official eventually bowed meekly, and walked back in the direction of his room. "The things I do for the Avatar," he said to himself, "I hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the end."  
In lieu of what just happened and his not wanting to bump into any more prying eyes, the Fire Lord opted to carry the Avatar to his own chambers instead, as they were closer. The guards stationed in the wing of the palace—since the previous attempts on his life—stiffened and stood up straight as Zuko approached.  
"The Avatar needs sleep. I do not want myself or the Avatar to be disturbed for anything less than a dragon attack, is that understood?"  
With a bow and a slightly shaky voice the two guards in uniform say, "Yes, sir?"  
"And I no longer want the kitchen opened all night. You tell the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation representatives they are limited to the set three meals a day and if any more items come up missing during their stay, that I will personally see to it that they have it replaced."  
"Yes, Pri—Lord Zuko," one guard responded while the other walked in front, opening the door for him  
"I also want a gala in my honor in three days. I think people need to start learning just who I am," Zuko said, his frustration almost palpable, walking into his room. "And I want the Fire Lord's chambers prepped and ready for me to sleep in tonight. I will be using that as my room from here on out.  
"Y-yes, Fire Lord Zuko." And they both bowed and shut the door louder than he would have liked.  
_Maybe Uncle wouldn't approve of my methods, _he thought, laying the sleeping Aang unto his bed and walking to the fireplace, _But there is a terrifying lack of respect and I intend to amend that. Things are going to change.  
_Breathing heartily, he shot out a satisfying flame unto the wood and a warm heat started filling the room almost instantly. Walking over to the sleeping Avatar, he looked down at his slightly crumpled form on his bed. _All the times I chased you down, and now you're asleep on my bed._ _Things do change._  
The Avatar's arms in the transit have since been caught up in the loose orange and yellow fabric of his robes. Thinking he'd be unable to get his arms relaced into the holes without waking him up, he instead opted to slip the top off altogether. He slid Aang's body up the bed and lifted his head to place a pillow underneath. Seeing the small boy on such a large bed was almost comical to Zuko, he might have laughed, but he found himself getting tired as well. He sat next to him on the bed and just looked at him for a while. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. Watching him breathe calmed Zuko. It made him happy. He's glad he never caught him or did any of the things to him he used to think was best. He was wrong. The Avatar isn't some terrorist to the Fire Nation, he's just a boy, trying to live his life and protect the people he loves.  
The Fire Lord realized this much later than he should have, and he felt guilty because of it. He should have listened to his Uncle more. _Maybe it should be him on the throne._ Occasionally Zuko thought about this, and once even almost brought it up to Iroh, but he never could find the appropriate wording. It is, after all, Zuko's destiny to be Fire Lord and aid the Avatar in rebuilding the world, but he couldn't help but think that maybe his Uncle Iroh would be a great Fire Lord in his own right. But that was out of the question now, and didn't really matter. What mattered now was helping to repair all the damage done and putting some stability back into the world. A tough task, but one that he and the Avatar are set on doing. Though, admittedly, it was a tiring one, and the evidence of that was right in front of him.  
Aang rolled over and started snoring louder. _ He must be exhausted, _he thought, _and I thought my job was hard. I could never dream what it was like to be the Avatar. I have one nation to keep control over, he has _four._  
_The fire crackled and spat and released a nice, light smell into the room. Only the most special scented logs for the Fire Lord, after all. He must talk to someone about all of these unnecessary lavishments sometime. Much different than how Aang was raised, most likely. He could hardly imagine living like a monk, with only the bare essentials. Even when he was traveling with his uncle, he was always afforded only the best supplies and furnishings. He looked at the Avatar and tried to imagine what his life was like. A whole different set of responsibilities looming over his head. Zuko himself knew how hard it was to be a normal child, but being the Avatar? Never meeting your parents? His childhood must have been no easy feat. He felt bad for the boy; would he ever get his rest? _Even now, when the worst is supposed to be over, he's so exhausted he can't even stay awake. It's no way to live._  
"I hope you get your rest soon," the Fire Lord said, brushing his bald head lightly. The hair was starting to grow back in and was a bit prickly to the touch. _He probably doesn't even have time to shave. _His hand fell to the back of his neck, and he suddenly found himself tracing his tattoo lines with his finger. It was strangely and unusually enjoyable to him. It was probably the most peaceful he felt in weeks. He liked being with Avatar, and he missed those night in the Western Air Temple. Just practicing and talking and sitting around a fire. He sometimes longed for those simple nights; everything now was so formal, so expected of him. He never got to just be himself anymore. Even when he was hunting the Avatar down with his Uncle, he was trying to be someone he was not. He understood that now. He didn't have to impress his father anymore; the Fire Lord. He _was_ the Fire Lord now, and he had no one to impress anymore—except maybe for the Avatar himself. While it was his duty to be a good Fire Lord, he couldn't help but feel sometimes as if some of his actions and choices might disappoint the Avatar, and he tried to act accordingly.  
By now his hand started tracing around the pink healing scar on his back that he received from his sister, Azula, that contrasted the air nomad's otherwise pale skin. Zuko felt guilty thinking about it, though he didn't entirely know why. He felt the same way when thinking about Ty Lee or Mai as well, and as a result, he found himself pushing them all out of his mind more than he probably should. The skin on his back went from smooth to rough, to smooth again. It felt like the same scar he had on his face, and it made him feel a very particular and personal kind of sadness. You can hide many things in life from people, but not the scars that are left behind. Those were their burdens to bear alone. Something they could never hide and never forget. They were alike, in this way.  
"I love you." The words escaped his lips before he even realized it. As he said it his hand reached the center of the scar on his back and Aang stirred.  
"Huh, Zuko?" He stretched and rubbed his eyes.  
"Uhhh…" He was at a loss for words as the panic rose up into his throat. A ball of lead seemed to form in his gut and he felt all of the blood leeching away from his face. Why did he just say that? Did he hear what he said? "Uhm, hey… Aang," Zuko managed to choke out after almost gagging.  
"Where am I, what's going on?" he sat up still rubbing one of his eyes and looking at him, "And where's my shirt?"  
"I uhh, I took it off. You looked uncomfortable and I, uhh, yeah." He scooted forward on the bed and looked away from Aang, swearing to himself in his mind out of worry.  
"Okay then… well, what happened to the meeting? Did I sleep through it?"  
"Yes well, no—" The Fire Lord tripped over his words, "I called it off."  
"You what? Why? You can't do that, what about the colonies?" Aang sat completely up and looked distraughtly at Zuko. Though he was upset at him, he couldn't help to at least feel a little bit relieved. He didn't notice what he said, at least it seemed that way. And he'd much rather defend this action than the other.  
"I cancelled it so we could prepare and get some rest," he said calmly, "It wouldn't appropriate to be making such important decisions with either of us in this state." The words flowed more easily again.  
"But things are getting bad Zuko, we need to decide what to do quickly before things escalate!" Though unhappy about the news, he still seemed more tired than anything.  
"Things will definitely escalate if we hastily make and rush into a bad decision. We need to do what's best for everyone, and in a situation as complex as this, it needs deep and intelligent thought and conversation, not needless bickering and arguments." He was almost impressed at himself at how well he was recovering from his scare and able to talk so eloquently. His words seemed to calm Aang, and that was good, really, for the both of them.  
"I… I guess you're right." He was silent for a moment. "But why am I in your room though?" He asked it more playfully than anything, one eyebrow higher than the other.  
"Oh, you know. Just trying to do my duty to finally capture the Avatar as my prisoner. You've got me." He looked at Aang and raised his hands up in a show. The Avatar smiled, but didn't say anything, still looking for the real answer. "You fell asleep in the meeting room and I took you here because it was closer. Less questions."  
Aang nodded, and laid back down a bit, satisfied with his answer. "I'm sorry about that, but I really should get back to my own room," he said, his words contradicting his actions as he got more comfortable on Zuko's bed, desperately trying to fight back sleep.  
"Sure, just as soon as you've the energy to get there." He rose and rapped Aang's leg, as the Avatar kicked off his shoes and buried his face into the pillow. Zuko couldn't help but wonder if it smelled like him, but shook away the thought from his head, as he did with so many about Mai and his sister, a strange feeling of guilt fogging his mind.  
"All right. Thanks, Zuko. I'll just stay here for… for a little while. Tell everyone I'll be out in a bit, I just need to… hmmm frmmm…" Aang's voice trailed off into his slumber, too tired to say anything more.  
Zuko rose and walked over to the door, opening it and looking back at him on his bed.  
"Goodnight Avatar, you deserve some rest, for once. You deserve that and so much more." And with a nod, he left.


	4. Chapter 4 - Nations at War

**Chapter 4**  
_Nations at War_

"Well," Katara whined, "It's good to see you finally show up." The Avatar walked in the small opened kitchen area off to one end of the palace and sat down, his face turning red. He had the feeling as if he'd done something wrong, though he couldn't put his finger on what.  
"Yeah sorry," he began, "I was just—"  
"It's okay," Zuko interrupted, walking in from around the corner, wearing different robes from before. "I already told them about our hike to talk about the colony situation and how you needed to meditate on the best course of action."  
"Uhh, yeah," Aang went on, trying to disguise a yawn, "The hike was… enlightening." The young Avatar was unsure of the lie, but he went along with it anyways.  
"Zuko told us all about it. Where did you go again?" the Water Tribe girl questioned suspiciously.  
"We almost got all the way to Mount Roku," Zuko said quickly.  
"I think Aang can answer questions for himself, don't you?" she quipped back at the Fire Lord, her words dripping of an unknown accusation. She still didn't much like or trust Zuko. Whether it was from her tragic, troubled past due to the Fire Nation's war, or from something else—something deeper—she didn't know. But she knew something was off about him—Fire Lord or not—and she had trouble believing his words, even when she knew they were true. He was hiding something, she knew it, and them being "friends" now didn't make her feel as if that was any less true.  
"My apologies," Zuko shot back, "I wasn't aware that dinner time coincided with interrogate the Avatar time. Really, I thought that would have been my job anyways." A raucous, snorting laugh rang out from the back of the room that could belong to no one but Sokka.  
"And _I wasn't aware_ that the position of Fire Lord came with babysitting the Avatar! I think that he is old enough to speak to me himself!" Her chest puffed out and her hands found their way to her hips.  
"_I'm babysitting?_ I'm not the one who needs to be constantly made aware of every little thing he—"  
"_Enough!_" the Avatar shouted, a rush of air flooding through the room, rattling the dishes and quieting all, save for Sokka's unbroken slurping. "Stop all this arguing you two, please. How long have we known each other and there's still this distrust that's so thick you could cut it with a boomerang! Stop getting at each other's throats over every little thing, please!" His eyes, still filled with the aftermath of his sleep, could have been mistaken for tears.  
"Sorry," Katara began, "I just wanted—"  
"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Aang said, cutting her off and sliding into a seat. "It's true, I had a long, tiring talk with Zuko. He even had to carry me part of the way. We realized that these meetings need a hiatus until we can better come to terms with what needs to be done in order to keep the peace and fairness in the world. Afterwards, I needed to clear my head." He wasn't lying, necessarily, but he wasn't telling the whole truth either. He despised lying, but until he could better figure out the situation, he decided it was for the best. Katara tended to overact a lot lately, especially in regards to the Fire Nation's new leader. "Zuko was only trying to be nice," he finished, nodding to Zuko, "Thank you, by the way."  
"No problem," he answered, sitting down and pouring himself some stew. He was seemingly much calmer than his Water Tribe counterpart, as she was still breathing a bit heavily from the outgoing adrenaline rush. She sighed.  
"Do you want some fish stew?" she asked Aang, without thinking.  
"No he doesn't eat—" Zuko began, before getting a look from Aang and Katara, which prompted him to instead clear his throat. He methodically got into his meal and kept his mouth shut, before he started something again.  
"I'll just have some rice, thanks," the Avatar said quietly, forcing a smile and nodding in Katara's direction.  
There was an uncomfortably long awkward moment while everyone ate in silence afterwards, until Toph, pouring herself more cactus juice, said, "Must have been some enlightenment you had there, meditating for an entire day like that."  
"I SLEPT FOR AN ENTIRE DAY?!" Aang burst out, eyes wide. "I-I mean, I… I was…"  
"I _knew_ you two were lying!" Katara spouted, her mood instantly changing due to her happy victory over the Fire Nation's latest deception. "You two are up to something!"  
Aang sighed, defeated and still very exhausted. "No, it's not like that, really. I was just tired and he let me sleep away from everything in his room. We're not plotting anything, I swear."  
"Then why did you feel the need to lie?" her voice in an octave between sad and angry, "You could have just said."  
"And what, have the ice queen badgermole him all day about it?" Zuko said, under his breath, but loud enough for the Water Master to hear.  
"EXCUSE ME?" she shrieked, banging the table, sending Momo flying off and Zuko's stew upwards into his face. "What did you just say?"  
"Careful! This is hot! What's wrong with you?" he barked, using his robes to clean his face.  
"What too hot for the Fire Lord? Can't handle a little heat? Want to shoot a few fireballs at me?"  
"Stop! Everybody is thinking it, no one is just brave enough to come out and say it for fear of you slipping rattoad poison into their food," he hissed glaringly back at her.  
"Yeah, like I'm the one everyone has to be afraid of, not like the countless innocents you've killed!" She was standing now, tears filling her eyes.  
"You cannot hold me accountable for all of the terrors of my people! I had nothing to do with any of that!"  
"Can't we all just get along…?" Sokka tried to add in, but no one could hear him for all of the yelling.  
"These guys are worse than little girls. I'm out of here." Toph murmured and walked off, going unnoticed by the rivaling forces at play.  
"Oh, like you had nothing to do with destroying our village that day when you so graciously landed at our decimated tribe!" cried Katara. Her fists were balled and shaking.  
"That wasn't—that was different! _I_ _was_ different! It's not like that anymore!" Zuko rose. There was an emotional fire burning in his eyes that seemed as if it would burst at any moment.  
"And how are any of us to know when you'll change again! When you'll snap and become the mighty and feared Fire Lord, just like your father! Those meetings are a joke!"  
"_I am not my father!" _Now it was Zuko with his eyes beginning to water.  
"You know what you are." Katara said, coming closer.  
"What? What am I?" Zuko responded stepping towards her.  
Aang got between them. "Stop it you two! You don't need to do this!" Zuko ignored him and while trying to push past him, accidentally knocked him to the ground. His head hit a table on the way down and the thump was loud enough to bring silence to the room.  
"Now look at what you did!" Katara exclaimed after a moment, motioning to the young air nomad on the ground. "Are you all right, Aang?"  
"Aang I'm sorry," Zuko said, quieter, but Katara wasn't done.  
"What?" she turned back to the Fire Lord, "You people weren't happy enough murdering his family that you have to hurt him too?!" Katara's hands rose to her mouth immediately after saying it, but there was no taking it back. "Aang no, no I didn't mean—"  
But he was already up and gone. He shot outside and airbended himself up and over the complex, running on the roofs until he was well out of sight. There were wet marks dotting the black floor as he went.  
"Now look at what you did!" she belted at him after regaining her composure.  
"What I did?" he shot back.  
"Guys, enough!" Sokka called, stepping in to take Aang's place between them. "Can't you see the damage is already done?" He grabbed his sister's arm and pulled her away from the fuming Fire Lord.  
"I don't have to prove myself to anyone, especially not you. You've had it out for me since day one!" Zuko shouted, not breaking his ground.  
"Oh no, I've had it out for your kind since long before that!" She was stronger than she looked, as her brother had to strain to pull her back.  
"Katara, stop! Come on, we could get kicked out of the palace!"  
"You think I care about his stupid palace?" She turned to Sokka incomprehensibly, "You think I should care about getting kicked out of the palace built from a war by taking money from hurt innocents?"  
Sokka pulled his sister in close and stared into her eyes. "No, but I don't think it would make a certain airbender feel any better to see his girlfriend evicted," he said flatly.  
"Don't worry Sokka, I have better things to worry about, not everyone is as petty as your sister."  
"And you need to stop as well! Do you realize how much he looks to you for support? No wonder Aang can't sleep having you two to worry about all of the time, on top of being the_ freaking Avatar_!"  
Neither of the two said anything, as they just stared at where Aang had been sitting, thinking about what they've done.  
"I'll be in our room, waiting for him," Katara muttered with a sigh, before gathering her things and leaving. When she was out of sight Zuko rose as well and made off in the opposite direction, walking overtop the droplets on the dark floor.  
"And where are you going?" Sokka asked as he walked out past him.  
"To make things right," he said lowly, and then he was gone.  
Sokka sat back down, exhaled powerfully, and poured himself another bowl of stew.


	5. Chapter 5 - Leaves in the Wind

**Chapter 5**  
_Leaves in the Wind_

"I didn't think you'd find me," Aang said, his back turned from Zuko. He tried to listen closely to the way Aang was talking in order to judge how he was doing through his voice, but if it cracked, the wind blowing over the top of the buildings made it unable to be heard.  
"You should know the Avatar can't hide from me," Zuko answered, trying to cheer him up.  
"Katara couldn't even find me," he says, relatively emotionless.  
"I'm not Katara."  
"I know."  
Zuko carefully stepped his way across the tiles and sat next to Aang, who was precariously sitting atop the roof of one of the higher towers in the complex. Without having the nimble feet of an airbender, Zuko was a bit nervous about being up this high, though he did his best not to show it.  
"You smell like an old fish. You should get washed up."  
"There was something I needed to do first," he says, immediately feeling embarrassed about the soup stench. In his haste to leave, he'd forgotten to get cleaned up.  
"Oh," he says, picking a leaf from his hand, and letting it go off of the ledge.  
"I'm really sorry, Aang. About earlier. That was terrible, and inappropriate. Are you ok?" I turned to look at him, but he just kept loosing leaves from the roof, and watching them blow away. His grey eyes lacking any emotion.  
"It's fine—I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Looking at him, he didn't seem like he'd been crying or anything. He didn't seem as if anything was wrong. His face and his eyes just looked empty. To Zuko, this was more troubling than if he were crying. He knew full-well how damaging apathy could be, and he didn't wish it upon anyone, especially not Aang.  
"I do worry about it," the Fire Lord said, "I worry about you, too. Sometimes I forget how young you are, and that you're the Avatar, and how hard things must be."  
"I'm old enough to take care of myself," Aang says flatly, disregarding the other things he'd said, "I've been on my own a long time and I've been through a lot. I don't need to be constantly looked after and prodded."  
"I know. So have I." Zuko sighed, and joined Aang in looking out into nothing in particular. "But that doesn't mean that it's not easier with other people in our lives. I thought for so long that I didn't need anyone. Not my father, not my sister, not my uncle—nobody. But at times, I was wrong. We do need other people sometimes. We need their support and their love. I'm sorry that we fought and that sometimes the people that love and support you don't get along." Zuko took notice at his mention of the "L" word, and tried to keep talking to cover it up. "I promise I will try to be more civil. The way I acted back there, that was wrong. That wasn't like me—the new me—that I'm trying to be. I'm sorry, Aang."  
"Don't be." Aang's emotional distance was bothering Zuko. In a way, he felt like screaming or yelling at him, so that he would yell at Zuko back. He wanted him to get mad or call him a name so Aang would feel better. Or at least so Zuko would.  
"You can yell at me, if you want. Or you could challenge me to an agni-kai. I've still got one good eye, you know."  
"I like your eye," Aang said, somewhat surprisingly.  
"What?"  
"I like your scars. It shows what you've been through. It makes you unique." The young Fire Lord remembered Aang's own scars, and that embarrassing night. He shook the thought from his mind.  
"Ha, that's a good one. Usually I just get gawked at like a freak."  
"No," Aang said firmly, finally turning to look at Zuko. "You're not a freak. You're a good man. And a good Fire Lord." This sudden direction the conversation was turning took Zuko aback. He didn't know what to say. He just studied the Avatar's face awkwardly, and noticed how close it was to his.  
"Th-thanks Aang." He sat there nervously for a moment, but it could have been an eternity in Zuko's mind, then he added, "I guess we should thank my family for our unique 'experiences,' huh?" He touched Aang lightly on his back where his scar was. Aang jumped a bit and stiffened, turning back to look into the woods far off in the distance, continuing to occasionally release a couple of leaves from his grasp to drift away.  
_Stupid,_ Zuko thought to himself, _ Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why would you say something awful like that? You come here to try and make things right and you say something idiotic like that?_ His insides rolled around within him as he mentally berated himself for his insensitiveness.  
"Sorry about Katara," the Avatar said after a moment, suddenly speaking up.  
"What? No, no it was my fault. I should be sorry."  
"She's been like that a lot, lately. Hardly a day goes by without her letting into someone, anymore. I don't know what's wrong. I think she's unhappy." Zuko sensed that there might be something deeper going on, than just two of Aang's friends fighting. Well, a friend and a girlfriend.  
"Is something the matter? I thought you two were happy… together," he added.  
"So did I." He flicked another leaf off of the roof, watching it blow off out of sight. "I don't know what it is. We've just been bickering a lot. Well, she has been. I try not to argue. She just seems unhappy with me."  
"Why do you think that is?" Zuko asked, unsure of what emotion he was feeling about the situation.  
"Maybe…" He looked down below us. "Maybe she just doesn't like me anymore. Maybe dating the Avatar isn't as exciting as she thought."  
"I think anyone would be lucky to have you. You're a special boy, you know. And I don't just mean that because you're the Avatar." I smiled at him, and he forced a grin onto his own face.  
"Thanks, Zukes."  
"Heh, don't mention it." The two of them just listened to the wind, for a while, until Zuko spoke up about himself.  
"You know, things with Mai have been difficult lately too. I'm not sure what it is; there's just this tension between us ever since my coronation. I don't see her much, anymore. She complains that I'm never around to spend time with her, and when I am, she never seems to be able to make time for me. I can't win."  
"I'm sorry," Aang says to Zuko.  
"I'm sorry too," Zuko says to Aang. "No really. I'm sorry. About everything. You deserve better." He says it and thinks about possibly intending it to have a deeper meaning.  
"It's all right. Sometimes people fight with the people they care about, right?"  
"Sure," The Fire Lord says, realizing he was lying. He didn't really care for that water tribe girl, and thought the sooner Aang was rid of her, the better, but again he tried to shake the thought out of his mind. "Sometimes they do."  
"Thanks for coming up here." Aang forced a smile onto his pale face, and put his free hand on Zuko's. He tried his best to remain the cool and calm Fire Lord that he was, but this physical contact made him blush. "I hope you work things out with Mai."  
"Thanks," he says, unable to return the sentiment, still reeking of old fish juice and onion.  
Aang nods. "I guess I'm going to go find Katara. She's probably waiting for me in our room. I hope this doesn't get in the way of things between her and I."  
_Silly boy, _he thinks. "Good luck," he says, instead.  
The Avatar opens his hands and lets all of the dried and discarded leaves he'd collected fall free. They drift off on a course unknown. He then skillfully jumps from the ledge and with a flip, casually floats to the ground like a leaf himself.  
Zuko, as usual, was left to take the hard way down.


	6. Chapter 6 - Apprehensions

**Chapter 6**  
_Apprehensions_

Katara paced in their shared bedroom incessantly, as if she were trying to wear a rut into the floor. It had been a few hours since the argument, and she could hardly wait any longer for Aang to get back. She was worried. Even before all of this, Aang had seemed distant. He was unable to sleep. The young Avatar hardly was ever in their room anymore, and seemed constantly preoccupied with meetings or meditations. His absence—both physical and emotional—wore on Katara, and she no longer knew what to do or what to think.  
In the beginning, she thought strangely about sharing a bed with Aang so early on in their budding relationship, but she'd never considered that he might never actually sleep in it. Even when he was around during the day he was busy— or worse—with Zuko. At night he'd stumble through the door and would meditate on the large centerpiece rug, often falling into and out of sleep while doing so. She worried about him. She worried about the future political landscape. But most of all, she worried about their relationship. For so long she tried to keep her feelings for him buried within her, and when she couldn't she tried to at least keep them hidden from him. But now that she knew he felt the same, and the situation has died down, she wanted to actually _have_ a relationship with him. Instead, it seemed she was dating someone off to fight a distant war, and she worried as if he were.  
The door creaked open a crack, and then more. A small frame in an orange robe shuffled in. She didn't know what to say. Her mind had been flooding with words up until this point. Now, she only drew blanks. He said nothing, his glance wavering over his meditation mat, but when he made eye contact with her, she was unable to resist embracing him. She ran over, swooped him in her arms, and her tears flowed freely.  
"I'm so sorry Aang," she choked out. He hesitated for a moment, but then brought his arms up, returning her affection. She brought him over to their bed and sat him down. Taking his hands into hers, her mouth exploded into apologetic gibberish. He just looked at her. His mouth opened as if to say something a few times, but he wasn't able to fit a word in. After a few minutes, he put a finger to her lips. She wasn't fond of the gesture, but she was elated that he was touching her of his own volition.  
"Katara, stop. It's ok. Really. I just want to forget about it." She nodded and grabbed a kerchief to make herself presentable again. He said things were fine, but she didn't feel any better. She returned next to him at the foot of the bed. She exhaled deeply. He turned to her.  
"Aang, I—" She wasn't able to finish her sentence, as his face pressed into hers. In moments, the entire thought was gone, and she was lost in a new kind of moment. He hadn't kissed her like this in a long time, not since they moved into the palace. Their setting was awkward, and she thought to pull him down, or wrap her arms around him, but she was too nervous to ruin the moment. After a moment he pulled away a bit, taking a breath and exhaling a sigh.  
"I don't want to lose you, after all that we've been through together. After all that we fought for. So long I wanted to be with you, but couldn't, and now we _are_ together and neither of us seem happy anymore. I'm frustrated with everything. I love you and finally we are here, alone, just you and me, in a _palace_ no less, and nothing seems to be working out. I'm tired. I'm sick of worrying. I don't care about earlier. It's fine, really. I just don't want to lose my friends. I don't want to lose _you_." His gaze was intense, his words sincere.  
"You won't." she said, staring back at him.  
"I'm tired of the fighting."  
"Me too. We can work things out, I'm so sorry Aang."  
"Will you talk to him then?"  
"What?"  
"Zuko," he said quizzically. "Will you try to make peace?"  
"That's what you're talking about!?"  
"Yeah… I'm sick of all of my friends fighting. Over nothing."  
"Over nothing?" she gasped. She couldn't believe him right now. Of all the silly things that had come out of this boy's mouth, she somehow expected better from him. "What happened with the Fire Nation was not nothing Aang!" Her voice was rising. "Countless people died! Homes were ravaged, families separated! My own mother…"  
"Katara, stop, you know that's not what I meant. I'm not asking you to forget it's just—"  
"I thought you were coming here so I could make peace with you, and now you're asking me to make peace with him? It was one thing working with him when we _had to_, but now? Now when he's proven to be no different than his father?"  
"That's not true! He's making things better!"  
"Better? The only thing he's better at doing is hiding his intentions. What of all the reparations to the water tribe? Rebuilding my people? The outcry in this pathetic dispute about 'colonies.' It's pointless!"  
"It's not pointless!" He was standing now, taking a step back looking at her in a completely different way. "We're trying to make progress! You don't understand!"  
"I don't understand? I'm not the one that was taking time-out in an iceberg for a hundred years while I watched everyone around me get taken away from me!"  
"That's not fair, Katara! You're not the only one who lost something!"  
"Not fair? What's not fair is seeing the man I love get torn away from me because of some petty fighting over the Fire Nation of all things! You don't want to lose me, but you keep pushing me away!"  
"No! That's not what's happening! Ugh!" There was a white flash in his eyes for a moment, and his voice was loud, beginning to crack.  
"It is happening, why else would you be here right now saying these things?"  
"I'm so sick of this! Of you always acting like this, like everything that happens is _my_ fault! I can't be there for everyone all at once! And when I am there? There for you and try to make things better, you act as if I'm asking for blood! As if we were still at war!" His face was red, and the curtains and banners in the room began to shudder.  
"We _are_ still at war, or none of this would even be necessary! When you ask me to make up to him? After all that happened? You most definitely are asking for blood!"  
"After all that happened? What, like him helping us take down the Fire Lord? Why do you always only see the negative without seeing the positive in everything!"  
"Yeah, take down the Fire Lord only to have himself put on the thrown. You think that was just coincidence that the exiled crowned prince was 'helping' us?" Her words were accentuated with powerful stomps. The pressure in the room intensified.  
"You just don't get it! After all we fight for, you act as if we're throwing things away by trying to work together! You act like peace isn't an option!"  
"How is it? With another tyrant like that on the throne, and you bending to his will! I want peace with you, not with the whole of the Fire Nation! Don't you want that, Aang?"  
"I guess it doesn't matter what I want or think. You never seem to care anyways!" Things in the room were beginning to rattle, and noticing this, the Avatar took a deep breath, trying to slow the pounding pulse in his head. Katara just stood there, looking for an answer. "I guess it doesn't matter, because I'm leaving. Don't follow me." He said it low and flat. The rushing winds stopped. He turned without looking at her, and walked to the door, his hands balled up into tight fists, and shaking.  
"Fine! I won't! And don't come back!" she yelled to a slamming door. She just remained where she was, for a few moments, panting, trying to grasp the situation. She threw herself unto their bed and grabbed a pillow. Holding it to her face, it absorbed her new rushing, frustrated tears. Inside the fabric, when she inhaled, she smelt Aang and it reminded her of the good times that now seemed passed. She breathed in long, and deep, and when she couldn't hold anymore of him in her lungs, she screamed.


	7. Chapter 7 - Bottles and Backlash

**Chapter 7**  
_Bottles and Backlash_

Aang sulked through the different areas of the palace without direction. Mindlessly wandering in and out of rooms, eventually he ended up in an indoor arena of sorts. The Fire Nation insignia was emblazoned on a huge tapestry that hung on the wall. The bricks were smooth and red. Seating was arranged all around up the walls in order to watch the Agni-Kais that took place here. Aang thought he could almost hear the cheering and screaming that must have echoed off of the walls. The Air Temples had courts for children to play with balls and do activities. Here though, they had courts for duels. He reached down and felt the cool stone with his hand, thinking about all of the heated fights that went on here. For honor and respect. Senseless violence, it seemed to him, but he recognized it was their way. He wondered if this is where Zuko battled his own father and received his scar. He shuddered at the thought.  
"You can't be in here!"  
"What?" Aang stepped back, startled.  
"You can't be in here," repeated an angry-looking older gentleman with a long hanging beard and a cane.  
"Sorry, I was just looking around. Is this where—"  
"You have to go!"  
"Oh, I didn't mean to bother you! I'm the Avatar," he said, with his hands up and his palms out, trying not to sound arrogant.  
"I don't care if you're the Earth King! You have no business being in here! Out, shoo! Be gone!" He chased after Aang, surprisingly swiftly for his age, wagging his cane at him. Aang turned heel and left, feeling abashed.  
Leaving that area, he wanders down into a wing he's never really been in before. Endless bedrooms filled the halls that seemed to be hardly occupied. Aang was constantly being surprised at the size and luxuriousness of the palace. He wondered if he could fit an entire air temple inside each wing of the palace, and still have room enough for more. He thought of his lost comrades and the homelessness he saw while travelling in the Earth Kingdom. The thoughts washed him over with a renewed sense of melancholy that seemed to weigh him down as if his robes were made of lead. Feeling uncharacteristically deenergized, he opened a large door to an empty bedroom and shut it behind him. Shuffling over to the bed, Aang threw himself down on top of it, a thin plume of dust rising forth as he did so. This side of the palace seemed to get less attention than the others. A perfect place to get away from everyone and everything else and be alone, he thought, but he wasn't the only one with this mindset. After a few short-lived peaceful moments, the door again creaked open and a pair of workers stumbled in, locked in an embrace. Aang watched them saunter in and sat up quickly, unknowing of what to say in this situation. They were apparently two servants of sorts that stole away to be alone. Their reasoning for their escape, though, was a stark contrast to his own. Aang sought to run away from his relationship, yet these two wanted to foster it in privacy. Their cheerful giggling made his heart sink.  
In the dimly lit room it took longer than he would have liked before the couple noticed him sitting speechless on the bed. The moment they discovered they were not as alone in their tryst as they'd have hoped, they froze. Awkward stares were exchanged as minds raced to assess the situation. The male let go of his secret lover and upon taking a step towards the Avatar, puffed out his chest.  
"What are you doing in here?" his shaky voice demanded. Whether he was trying to flip the situation onto Aang, or impress his girlfriend, Aang wasn't sure.  
"S-sorry. I was just…" he thought for a moment but wasn't sure of how to answer. "I actually don't know what I was doing I just trying to get away from things, I guess." The girl straightened out her blouse and stood more formally alongside her flame.  
"Uh, don't you have a meeting or something to attend to?" He was more confident in his speech this time, sensing he had the upper-hand in the situation.  
"No, we're having an extended recess. We'll reconvene… later, sometime. We need to reassess the situation with… everything," He didn't know why he was explaining this all to someone who probably didn't know what he was talking about or, in this moment, care. He felt though, as if he was in the wrong, and he needed to defend his actions. For being here. For just wanting to be alone.  
"Well," he said, looking to the girl, and then back to Aang, "You can't be in here. This is a restricted area of the palace undergoing… maintenance. Yes, maintenance. Palace staff only." The girl smiled at this. It had the makings of a new secret, and this excited her. "Now, if you would…" he motioned to the door, "We must return to work."  
Aang looked from the boy to the girl and back again. He wasn't sure if he should express exasperation or anger or sadness or if he should just call their bluff and sit there until the couple left. After a few more awkward glances, Aang's body resigned to stand up and walk past the pair of them through the door that was quickly slammed behind him. He walked on.  
An array of delicious smells led him to the large kitchen that served this area of the palace. Waitstaff rushed in and out of the flapping doors carrying stacks of plates and dishes and glasses, some filled, others empty. Dodging rushing elbows and carts and avoiding scowling gazes, he slipped between the doors and walked into a bustling scene of food and steam and people. It looked like a hive of bumblebee-ants the way there were rushing around, each in their own little world, focusing solely on the job at hand as if they were impervious to all of the noise and bustle around them. He envied their ability to do so. He wished he could block out the world and get things done with such ease. But alas, even with years of training and meditation, his mind was still abuzz with thoughts and feelings that kept him from thinking succinctly.  
His stomach gurgled at the scents billowing throughout the enclosure. It was somewhere between queasy and hungry. Whatever they were cooking his nose loved the aroma, and felt slightly guilty, not knowing if animals were involved in making such a delightful scent. He grabbed at a small rice cake from a seemingly distracted cook, but as his hand was about to touch it, he got a sharp, quick rap on his hand from a spoon. He pulled back his hand quickly. A glare was shot at him that was so cold, he almost felt his lungs freeze in his chest. He backed up and bumped into a woman preparing some kind of bird, she turned to him and brandished the knife that was in her hand. Aang ducked under a table into a back area where soup of some sort was being made. It reeked of fire flakes and tickled his nose. He moved on to some firebenders searing steaks skillfully with controlled blasts of fire from their fists. He got lost watching them control the small flares around the food, expertly utilizing the smoke so it wafted into the steaks above that were next to be cooked.  
"Sir, you're bothering me. Sir. _Sir!_"  
"What?" Aang snapped out of his trance. "Sorry, I—"  
"You're ruining our concentration," one of the young firebending chefs said to him, without stopping what he was doing. "Anything that gets ruined is on my head. Back up."  
Aang obliged, scooting away to a relatively unoccupied section of the kitchen where a small man was making some kind of rice dish. Aang looked on warily from afar. He watched him slice ingredients that he recognized, and crumbled nuts that he knew Katara enjoyed over the top. While he wasn't much of a cook himself, the process intrigued him and always had. The Fire Nation food was far from what he was used to, and he figured he could lower the spiciness and add fish, if he needed to. While he wouldn't eat it—he'd find something else for himself, like he so often did in their travels—he knew Katara liked meat, and respected that the same way she respected his dislike of it. Usually, at least. She was the grand carnivore's sister, after all. Sokka would eat a steak with a double side of ribs everyday if he could. Maybe making Katara dinner wouldn't be such a bad idea, he thought, taking mental notes of the preparation in front of him. It might help ease things between the two. _If _that were even possible. He sighed.  
Feelings of dread returning to him he turned away and stared at a wall of assorted drinks. The flushed bottles looked beautiful, but amazingly fragile this close to all of the action and fire. A young woman rushed past him carrying food and placed it on a tray. On her return trip, he recognized her as the girl from before. Her hair was slightly messed now, but he recognized the flushed cheeks and dark eyes. When she noticed him, she bowed slightly, and then stood up, rigidly. She looked at something behind Aang with a start. The redness in her face left, and was replaced with a worried white.  
"Why hasn't the Eastern tower been serviced yet?" the voice boomed behind the Avatar.  
"I will—I am. It won't be but five minutes! I'm sorry!" the girl answered. Her voice was high-pitched and wavering.  
"Apologies do not fill stomachs! Apologies do not stave off complaints! Apologies do not keep jobs!"  
"Yes, Madam Miyake." She looked down at the tiled floor.  
"And fix your hair! You look like a hog monkey!" She stomped at this and Aang felt the ground tremble, but didn't dare move. "Get out of here! Go!"  
The girl shrieked, gathered her trays and quickly made her exit. Aang felt the shadow still looming above him. Apprehensively, he turned to see a large, hulking woman in a chef's hat. Her eyebrows were dark and straight and her eyes looked as if they could start infernos with a glance. Aang shuddered.  
"And you! What do you think you are doing in my kitchen! You think this is some sort of a play area? I don't know what kind of manners they teach you at monk school, but this is the _Fire Nation Grand Palace_! Do you know how much trouble you can cause? I do not care what you do on the grounds, I do not care what you do in the skies above, but this is _my domain_ and you are an unwelcome guest! Are you going to leave, or do you wish to meet your ancestors?"  
Aang's chin began to quiver, but he quickly stopped it, or at least hoped he had. This woman no longer intimidated him. She didn't scare him and he did not care that she was upset. He was mad. He thought about sending a strong gust through the complex, ruining everything just to spite her, but he decided against it. He looked to the delicate glass bottles adjacent to them, and then back to her. His adrenaline was rushing and his eyes burned.  
"Well?" she challenged; a warlord among chefs. She stared at him intensely. He squinted his eyes. He snarled his lips. He pushed his tongue out between his teeth at her defiantly. After seeing her react, he darted between her legs. Grabbing two sizeable bottles of cactus juice he ran out the door into the hall, narrowly dodging a meal cart stacked with foodstuffs. Without stopping, he turned sharply and dived out the window, haphazardly creating a cushion of air beneath him to soften his landing, then sprinting off. The cork was off before he even hit the ground.


End file.
